


A Way to Say Thanks

by harmony88



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Episode Fix-It: s02e13 Doomsday, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27794959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETEAnother Doomsday Fix-it, because we all we need to think about what could have been from time to time, right?Rose doesn't fall in, and before the Doctor can get her back to the TARDIS she's taken to a nearby hospital, where Martha Jones works. The Doctor & Rose try to find a way to say thank you for saving Rose's life.“What is your name?”“Rose Tyler,” Rose whispered. Martha nodded.“Who is he?” she asked, gesturing to the Doctor.“Doctor,” she replied. Martha’s face dropped for a moment, but the Doctor smiled at her.“She’s right. My name is Doctor. Just the Doctor,” he said. Martha laughed.“Your parents really knew what they wanted for you, didn’t they?” she joked.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 17
Kudos: 81
Collections: Stuck Like Glue





	A Way to Say Thanks

**Author's Note:**

> Fluffy one-shot. Hope you like it!

Her knuckles were burning. The force by which her body was being pulled away from him as his eyes implored her not to let go was draining her - quickly. The lever was slippery and she could feel her heart thudding in her ears. Rose Tyler couldn’t remember a moment with the Doctor that had felt this scary, and yet, glancing over at him she felt herself grow calmer by his presence. Just a little bit. 

He was screaming at her. He felt like he was going to be sick, and Time Lords don’t get sick. Not in the same way humans do, at least. But, as he watched his most precious pink and yellow human slowly rise higher off the ground as the void’s pull grew stronger, he felt like he was going to explode. 

“Rose, HOLD ON!” he shouted. He didn’t care how desperate it may have seemed to her. He _was_ desperate. 

Every time he’d ever seen her smile came flooding to his mind. The first time he met her in that shop, asking her to run away with him filled his insides with warmth and his hearts were pounding against his chest. In all the adventures they had been on, he had almost lost her a handful of times. He remembered that feeling with stark horror as he watched her, helpless, just begging that this would end and she would be alright. 

“DOCTOR!” Rose screamed, one hand slipping off the lever entirely. She heard his cry across the room but she couldn’t look over and flash him a smile to ease his fear like she normally did. Instead, she mustered every fiber of strength she had to move one leg against the wall and kick back, pushing her body closer to the lever and wrapping her other arm back around it, this time latching it at the elbow. The Doctor felt another wave of nausea as he watched her do this. It was a new feeling and one he honestly wasn’t fully processing. All he wanted was for Rose to be okay. 

Time seemed to stand still around them. They were both aware of objects flying back into the void, but when Rose felt more secure she glanced over at the Doctor. Their eyes met, unspoken words begging to spill out of them both. Rose was just about to smile at him, confident this would all be over soon, when a piece of metal hit the lever and threw her back. Her right hand managed to grab a hold of it, but her entire body was flying up in the air, rising higher with each second as she tried with every ounce in her body to stay with him. 

And then it ended. The wall closed behind them, leaving the vast expanse of the unknown universe right where it was and allowing gravity to take its rightful place back on Earth. Rose collapsed on the floor once the wall appeared, landing on her side and hitting her head on the base of the lever. 

The Doctor couldn’t process any of it. His mind was numb; completely overwhelmed by the events of the last hour. As he watched Rose fall, however, his body did what his mind simply couldn’t. He reacted. 

He ran. 

He was at her side in seconds. “Rose?” he whispered, scared to move her in case there were any broken bones. “Rose, please… please wake up. Rose!” 

He felt his throat catch as tears formed in his eyes again. She wasn’t moving, and with a shaky hand he felt her neck for a pulse. It was there, and he breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the tears away so he could focus. 

“Rose,” he said again, this time a little louder and more steady. “Please. I need you.” 

He kelt over her and wrapped his arms around her, careful not to move again, he couldn't risk injuring her more, not with the TARDIS so far away despite the burning urge to scoop her up and plant a thousand kisses all over the face. He wanted to tell her words he swore he would never say, holding her for the rest of time and not caring about anything else. As he gripped her, whispering her name in her ear and desperately trying to get her to wake up, he felt two hands on his arm, pulling him back. 

“No - no, stop!” the Doctor cried, wiggling against the grip as it moved him away from Rose. He realized quickly it was the paramedics and that someone must have heard the screaming and called for help. He closed his eyes but snapped them back open immediately when he pictured Rose’s face, turning his attention to her as the paramedics popped open a gurney and carefully placed Rose on it. The paramedic still holding his arm was asking him questions, but he couldn’t hear anything over the sound of his heartbeat pulsating and screaming in his ears. He watched with a pit in his stomach as the IV bag was placed and and one of the paramedic’s urgent eyes next to Rose met his, ushering everyone to follow as they raced back down to the ambulance. 

“Sir?” the Doctor finally heard, his eyes snapping to the man in his 30s still gripping his arm. “I know you’ve had a shock. We don’t fully know what happened here and I’m sure it was terrifying, but I need to give you an exam -” 

“No. I’m fine,” the Doctor said, pulling his arm away. “Where are they taking her?” 

“St. Frances Hospital. But sir, please, you could have bleeding or bruising or-” the paramedic said again. 

“I’m FINE,” the Doctor snapped, the beginning of the Oncoming Storm peeking through. The paramedic shut his mouth firmly and nodded. With a fury the Doctor raced to the TARDIS and set the coordinates to land right outside St. Frances, his goal to arrive before they did. 

He was frustrated and furious. Furious with himself for allowing this to happen in the first place, frustrated with Rose for coming back even though he told her not to, then guilty for being frustrated with her when she could be dying on that gurney. He was furious with the paramedics for taking her away and frustrated with himself for being furious with them. They were trying to help, and they could perhaps help her faster than he could on the TARDIS. 

What did he know, anyway? He felt like his world was spinning faster than even his mind could understand. In 900 years he had only felt the anguish he had watching Rose float against that void once before. Once. When he chose to save the universe over his home. 

His mind was racing as the pulsing echo of the TARDIS was heard throughout the stars, and then ended as he reached his destination. He closed his eyes and saw her face, and in an instant he was out the door and running into the hospital lobby. 

Rose. His Bad Wolf. His impossible human. Perfect and pink and yellow, with her tongue in cheek smiles and intoxicating pheromones of honey and lavender. He felt like he could never get enough of her and yet kept her at arm's length out of fear of losing her. 

And then this happened. 

He almost told her how he felt after Krop Tor. When she hugged him in that space suit, it took every ounce of self restraint he possessed not to grab her waist and wrap his tongue around hers, spilling every feeling he had been holding back into her through kisses and touches. He had wanted to throw her against the wall of the TARDIS and tell her she saved him from the devil, that the one thing in the entire galaxy he believed in was her. He wanted.. Oh how we wanted.... 

His mind was like treacherous fire as the receptionist told him she didn’t know what floor Rose was on. His eyes flickered, the Oncoming Storm reaching its next level, and just once glance convinced the receptionist to call every single floor until he got his answer. Floor 6. 

He raced there, his legs beginning to feel like jelly from the adrenaline as he pushed open the double doors and looked around. Doctors were running everywhere, the heart stopping sound of a code going off in two different rooms. He started to tremble and his face was expressionless as he searched - pleading for some semblance of Rose’s scent, or hair, or eyes. 

“Sir?” a woman asked. His eyes darted to her, and she saw just how hard he was shaking. “Are you looking for someone?” 

“Yes,” he managed to croak out. “My -” 

What word did he use to describe Rose to this nurse? He racked his brain, trying to find the appropriate phrase or noun and the nurse smiled softly at him. She could see the pain and love coursing in his eyes. 

“This floor is for family members only. Are they family?” she asked. The Doctor let out a suppressed breath but held back the tears, and nodded. 

“She is…. everything,” he whispered. 

“Your wife?” the nurse asked. The Doctor stared at her. He nodded once, feeling a pang of guilt, but knowing that he wouldn’t be allowed to stay on this floor if he said otherwise. And he couldn’t say sister… he just… he couldn’t do that. 

The nurse smiled at him kindly and gestured for him to sit in the waiting area. He was still trembling so hard the nurse thought he might need a sedative to relax. She didn’t offer it yet though, she simply helped him to a seat and smiled at him again. 

“What is her name?” she asked. 

“Rose. Her name is Rose. Rose Tyler,” he said. Just saying her name eased his thundering hearts for a brief second. The nurse nodded. 

“One moment.” 

He nodded as she walked to the desk to check room assignments. His hands came up to his face and he hid behind them for as long as he could, berating himself not to cry. He had to be strong, for Rose. The nurse came back after what felt like an eternity and handed him a clipboard. 

“She’ll be admitted to room 4 after surgery. Someone will come talk to you soon.” 

“Surgery?” the Doctor asked, deflated. He should have taken her to the TARDIS. He groaned, and the nurse tried to ease him with a smile, but the only person who could do that was currently on an operating table. 

He stared at the clipboard, unable to focus on the words. All he saw were dizzying clumps of black lines and letters, and he set everything down next to him as his face buried itself in his hands again. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head sharply, trying his best to refocus. It didn’t work. 

She was alone. Her entire family was in the parallel world and she would never see them again. All she had was a lonely old Time Lord who couldn’t even fill out a questionnaire. He dug his nails into his thigh, cursing himself for not being stronger for her. He picked the clipboard up again and tried to fill out what he could. He wrote the word Rose on the first line before he felt like he would be sick again. 

A man in his early 40s walked up to him, with ginger hair and a thousand freckles. He held his hand out, and the Doctor shook it without thinking. 

“I’m Dr. Peterson - you must be Mr. Tyler,” he said. 

“Doctor,” he answered. The man looked confused. “You can call me Doctor.” 

“Ah. You’re one of us,” he said with a smile. “Sit, sit.” 

The Doctor retreated to his seat and stared at the man, annoyance growing inside of him for not telling him what was happening sooner. 

“Your wife is in surgery but she is almost done. So far, everything seems to be going well. She broke about four ribs and punctured a lung. There was some internal bleeding in her spleen but we have been able to localize and stop that. We are not sure about any cognitive impairments at this time, but she did her head pretty hard,” Dr. Peterson slowly explained. 

The Doctor nodded. He gripped the ridge of his nose between his eyes, trying to stop the throbbing headache that was appearing from the tension in his neck. He let out a shaky breath and swallowed hard. 

“So she’s okay?” he asked. 

“All signs point to her being alright, but we won’t know for sure for a while. Surgery still has a way to go, but we will tell you when you can see her,” Dr. Peterson said kindly. “Can I ask you what happened?” 

“She fell,” the Doctor said, trying to push the memory of watching her land out of his head. Dr. Peterson could see the anguish in the man’s face and simply patted his shoulder before walking over to the nurse and telling her to tell him the moment Rose was ready. 

It was another four hours before anyone approached the Doctor. The clipboard still sat untouched at his side. The nurses didn’t press him about it, everyone in the hospital could see the anguish he was in and didn’t want to add to it in any way. Finally, the first nurse he met approached him with that same smile. 

“You can see her,” she said. 

The Doctor darted to the door to Room 4, completely unaware if he ran into anyone on his way. When he got to the doorway he stopped and inhaled sharply. 

She was hooked up to wires on all parts of her body. She had a breathing tube in her throat to help her airflow until she woke up. Her hair, her perfect yellow hair, was brushed off to the side and her face looked as white as the sheets she leaned against. The Doctor ran a hand over his face again to steady himself as he walked up to her, placing a hand on hers as it rested against her side. 

“Rose,” he croaked. He had done such a good job at not crying. He had been brilliant at it, in fact. He didn’t consider this body much of a crier, but as he stared at his most perfect human in this hospital bed, he broke. A sob escaped his lips and he felt his shoulders hunch, rising and falling at rates he didn’t know were possible. 

He managed to control it fairly quickly, a trait of Time Lords it seemed, being able to reign in emotion at the drop of a hat. He leaned over her and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering longer than they normally would as he helped brush a few stray hairs from her eyes. 

“Would you like a chair?” the nurse asked, suppressing her own tears at the tenderness she just witnessed. He nodded, his eyes not leaving Rose as she brought an ugly crimson chair to him and he sat down. His hand was still on hers, brushing small circles on her skin. 

“Thank you,” the Doctor whispered, and the nurse nodded, understanding he needed a moment alone. 

“I’ll be at the desk if you need anything,” she said. 

The Doctor stared at Rose. A million thoughts about what he could have done better infiltrated his brain but he pushed them all aside and counted her breathing. It seemed okay, but with a quick glance to see if anyone was watching he whipped out his sonic and scanned her entire body. 

Her temperature was normal. Her breathing was shallow and she had lost some blood, but he saw bags helping offset that hooked to her IV stand. Her bones were not just broken - they were shattered, and the sonic counted 34 pins holding them in place to mend. The TARDIS could help speed things along, but he would have to wait a while for that. 

He returned his sonic to his pocket and sighed. Slumping to his seat, he grabbed her hand again and just sat. After an hour or so, a new doctor walked into the room with a tray of food. 

“For you,” she said. He glanced up. Her brown eyes and brown skin illuminated in the moonlight outside, and she was the first one not smiling at him like this wasn’t serious. He appreciated it. 

“Thank you.” he said. 

“Of course. I’m Dr. Martha Jones, the resident on call tonight. If you need anything, page me. I heard you were a Doctor, too?” she asked. 

“You can say that,” he said with a half smile. “Any idea when she might wake up?” 

Martha shook her head, but she grabbed Rose’s chart and looked at the monitor to see if she could give him any sort of idea. 

“It’s just a matter of when the anesthesia wears off. She was put under eight hours ago but we had to use a lot due to the severity of her injuries. No need to panic yet, I promise,” she told him. She still wasn’t giving him a phony smile for reassurance, and the Doctor once again felt appreciative. 

“Thank you,” he said calmly, looking back at Rose. “I want you as her Doctor, please. Can we make that happen?” 

“I’m just a resident -” Martha began, but the Doctor shook his head. His instincts were never wrong. 

“I trust you. You are the first one not to smile at me like an idiot while she…” he trailed off, his breath hitching. “I trust you.” 

Martha stared at him. She nodded once, and walked to the desk to make the changes for the Doctor. 

He didn’t sleep at all that night. Overzealous nurses kept checking on him, offering coffee or a cot to lay next to her on but he refused every time. He just wanted to sit and stare and wait for Rose to come back. Because she had to come back, she always did. 

He was still holding her hand, staring at his sonic screwdriver at 5:13am. He will never forget that time. Suddenly, he felt a small squeeze, and he glanced up instantly, dropping the sonic in his lap. 

“Hello,” he whispered, smiling at her. “Dr. Jones!” he cried, and Martha was at his side in seconds. 

“Well how bout that,” she said, grinning for the first time. “Do you mind holding her shoulders while I remove the tube?” 

The Doctor didn’t hesitate. He held Rose’s hand and kissed it over and over, relief flooding his entire body as he heard her gasp and cough. That was a perfectly normal reaction to a breathing tube, and Martha gave him a small nod as she checked her vitals and upped her morphine just a touch. 

“You gave your husband quite a scare, Mrs. Tyler,” Martha said softly. Rose blinked carefully and the Doctor blushed. “Your throat may be sore for a few days, but I want to do some tests to see how your brain is doing. Is that okay?” she asked. 

Rose’s eyes met the Doctor’s and he felt like he could regenerate from happiness at being able to see them again. He nodded at her, smiling, and Rose looked back at Martha. 

“Okay,” she said, wincing at the pain in her throat. 

“This will be fast,” Martha said. “What is your name?” 

“Rose Tyler,” Rose whispered. Martha nodded. 

“Who is he?” she asked, gesturing to the Doctor. 

“Doctor,” she replied. Martha’s face dropped for a moment, but the Doctor smiled at her. 

“She’s right. My name is Doctor. Just the Doctor,” he said. Martha laughed. 

“Your parents really knew what they wanted for you, didn’t they?” she joked. “Alright, Rose. Good job. Do you know how old you are?” 

“20,” Rose replied. 

“Good. Can you squeeze your right hand? Now your left? Can you wiggle your right toes? Now your left? Good, good job,” she said assuringly. 

The Doctor kissed her forehead, so incredibly proud of her and so unbelievably happy she was here. Awake. He knew there might be a long recovery ahead, but he didn’t care. Rose was here. 

“Well, the good news is there is nothing to suggest any long term brain deficits. You do have a concussion, but we can treat that easily. Welcome back, Mrs. Tyler,” Martha said before turning and leaving, closing the door to give the lovebirds some privacy. 

“Rose -” The Doctor said, smiling like an absolute idiot at her. Rose smiled back, despite the pain it caused, but it faltered when she saw tears on the Doctor’s face. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him cry, and it scared her. 

“Are you okay?” she asked hoarsely. He kissed her hand, holding it next to his face as he carefully leaned over her. 

“I was so scared I would lose you, Rose. These are happy tears. Very happy tears,” he told her. Rose felt her heart flutter at his words and she rubbed her hand against his cheek. 

“I gave you forever, remember?” she said, smiling. He laughed despite himself and nodded. 

“I will never forget,” he said. 

He wanted to say so much more.

He wanted to cup her face and kiss her, stopping all of time with his lips as they danced on hers. 

He wanted to say those words again - those words that he swore he would never tell her because he knows the pain of losing the ones you… well… 

His eyes locked with hers, and he forgot why he had never told her before. In that moment, looking at the galaxies in her eyes, all he could think about was how close he got to never getting the chance to tell her anything ever again. And now he realized how foolish he had been. How idiotic he was to assume not loving her would make it easier when he lost her. 

Because, if he was honest with himself for once, he had been a puddle of regret today. And that stopped now. 

“Rose,” he began, placing his hands on each side of her face. “I love you.” 

She stared at him, completely caught off guard. His eyes danced with hers and he was smiling so wide she thought he would fly away. 

“I love you, so much,” she replied in a whisper. Suddenly, his lips were pressed on hers. It was soft and gentle, as he knew she was still hooked up to wires, but his hand made its way into her hair and ran its way down her neck, cupping around her cheek as he continued to kiss her. She kissed him back as best she could, wrapping her arms around him to pull him closer without knocking him over. She smiled against the kiss, and the Doctor smiled back. Her lips parted and he darted his tongue inside, swirling like the galaxies in her eyes as he finally got to tango with her. Her hands made their way into his hair now, and after a few moments they separated rather reluctantly, foreheads still pressed together and their lips curled in tremendous smiles. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” he whispered, kissing her in between each declaration. She felt a tingle in her toes and she giggled, wrapping him in a hug. 

“Ow, shit,” she said, wincing. The Doctor jumped back, eyes wide, as she adjusted her body again. “Sorry.” 

“No, no, no, I’m sorry. I got carried away,” he said. “If you want I can use the sonic, might help speed the healing process up a bit?” 

Rose nodded, and the Doctor checked to make sure no one was looking at them. Quickly and steadily, he pulled out the screwdriver and scanned her ribs first, as he knew that was where the bulk of her injuries were. 

“Why are we in a hospital, anyway?” she asked. Her throat was still sore and she made a face as she swallowed, and the Doctor moved to her neck, scanning slowly. 

“I think someone heard what was happening there and called for help. I was… I was kind of a mess, Rose. You were in better hands here,” he whispered, his eyes darting away from her. 

“Hey,” she said, “it’s okay.” 

“I should have been able to protect you. And I mean that in every sense. What happened today should not have happened…” he said, breaking off at the end. 

She remembered, then. Her family. 

Hot tears filled her eyes and she blinked them away, and the Doctor moved to sit beside her, running his hand through her hair. “I’m so, so sorry, Rose.” 

“Don’t do that, don’t you dare,” she whispered. “I wanted this. I wanted you. I just…” 

“I know,” he said. 

They sat in silence for an hour, Rose crying, and the Doctor rubbing circles on her hand, comforting her as best he could while she was still in bed. Martha came back in to check on them, and when she saw Rose’s tears her eyes widened. 

“What happened?” she asked, trying to sound calm. Rose sniffed and tried to smile, and the Doctor kissed her cheek. 

“Nothing that concerns you,” the Doctor said. Rose groaned. 

“Don’t be rude,” she murmured. He smirked at her. 

“Me? Rude? Never,” he said, winking. 

“Doctor, I’m serious,” she said. 

“Me too,” he replied. 

Martha smiled at them, something inside of her wanting to know more about this mysterious and adorable couple. She nodded, and the Doctor grinned at her. 

“May I speak with you?” he said. 

“Do you want to step out or -” Martha began, the Doctor laughed. 

“No, no. No need. I just wanted to thank you,” he said. Martha nodded. 

“Of course, it was my pleasure. You two make a lovely couple. How long have you been married?” she asked. Rose’s eyes bulged, and she suddenly remembered being called “Mrs. Tyler” hours before, but she had been too groggy to put the pieces together. She flashed the Doctor a look, and he ignored her, grinning madly at Martha. 

“Not long,” he said. Rose tried not to laugh. 

“Well, congratulations,” she said. As she turned to leave, Rose was the one to speak. 

“Dr. Jones?” she asked. Martha turned back around. “We, er… I’m just wondering if we could treat you to dinner once I’m all healed up? I know both the Doctor and I would love to say thank you properly.” 

Martha’s brow furrowed, and she nodded. “Sure, that would be lovely.” 

“Brilliant!” the Doctor said, squeezing Rose’s hand. 

Martha excused herself to check on more patients, and Rose’s eyes locked with the Doctor’s. 

“Married, huh?” she teased, her tongue resting in the corner of her mouth. The Doctor sighed and kissed her, butterflies soaring in his stomach that he was able to do that now. 

“They wouldn’t let me see you if we weren’t family,” he explained. 

“Mhm,” Rose said, her smile growing wider. 

“Rose, stop, I’m serious, that’s all it was!” he protested. 

“I know,” she said, but the look on her face made the Doctor groan. 

“Insatiable, you are,” he said. 

“And yet, apparently, you love me?” she teased. He shook his head, amazed by her. 

“That I do, Rose Tyler.” 

~~ 

It took two weeks for her injuries to be healed enough that the hospital would let her go. They kept saying what a fast healer she was, and both she and the Doctor smiled, knowing the sonic helped quite a bit. 

He had stayed with her every night, only leaving to shower in the TARDIS when she told him his smell was getting too strong. She was a little worried he hadn’t been eating, and she would find small ways to share her plate of food with him when they would bring it to her. Claiming the pudding wasn’t cold enough, or saying her banana tasted too metallic, (which the Doctor was more than happy to check for her), among others. 

Today, though, as they wheeled her out of the hospital, food was the last thing on her mind. The anticipation to get back to the stars was overwhelming, and she grinned at the Doctor as he helped her out of the chair, and they turned to the nurse who was standing beside Martha. 

“Well, this is it! So glad you’re feeling better,” the nurse said, and turned to bring the chair back inside. 

“It was lovely, getting to you both,” Martha said. Rose smiled at her. 

“You too. I mean it, about dinner, someplace… fantastic?” she said, her eyes meeting the Doctor’s. There was a playful smile on her face and he couldn’t stop himself from shaking his head and smirking, just as he had when she was betting on Queen Victoria. For some reason he just realized what Rose meant by “dinner.” 

“Do you have a break, Dr. Martha Jones?” he asked. 

“Umm… yeah, I could take a dinner break now. Why?” she asked. 

“We have something to show you. A thank you!” Rose said gleefully, bouncing on her feet. Martha laughed and shrugged. 

“Alright, then. Let me just get someone to cover my patients while I’m gone, be out in a tick,” she said, turning back inside and glancing over her shoulder. These two were strange. She liked them. 

The Doctor looked at Rose like she was his last breath, completely enamored by her as she started spouting off places they could take her, the best possible places to say thank you. The Doctor winked at her. 

“I have an idea,” he said. 

“Ooh, tell me!” she begged. He shook his head. 

“Surprise,” he murmured, and wrapped his arms around her. “Besides, I can think of something else I want to do first, before we even open the TARDIS door.” 

“Oh? What’s that?” Rose asked. 

“Kiss you while you’re finally not in that god forsaken hospital bed,” he whispered. She felt her legs go weak and she gripped him tighter. 

“I’d like that,” she said, and moaned as his lips found hers. He was smiling into the kiss, and Rose thought nothing in the entire galaxy could feel as right and as good as this does. Especially as his hand gripped her waist, and his other hand cupped her cheek, and her hands wrapped around his neck, and their mouths kept opening and finding each other, tongues darting out and moans escaping their throats. 

They heard the glass doors open and broke apart, but Martha had seen enough to be completely red faced when they turned to face her. 

“Sorry,” Rose said. Martha shook her head. 

“No need, I get it. Sure now is a good time?” she teased. 

“You know, actually, maybe it -” the Doctor began, wanting nothing more than to be alone with Rose for a while, but Rose swatted at his arm. 

“Yes, it’s totally fine. Isn’t it, Doctor?” she said. Her eyes seemed to dare him to say yes, as if promising a reward if he did this now. He gulped. 

“Yep,” he squeaked, squeezing Rose’s hand a little. 

“Alright, then,” Martha said. She wasn’t sure why she was doing this - she definitely did not make it a habit to get meals with her patients, but these two were just… different. She couldn’t put her finger on it, and she couldn’t say no. 

They walked together down the block to the TARDIS, and the Doctor felt his heart skip as Rose unlocked it. She was home. 

“What?” Martha asked, confused. The Doctor gestured for her to walk in. 

“Go on,” he said. 

Rose was already standing by the console, her feet dangling off her chair with a wide grin as Martha stepped forward, and immediately stepped back out. 

“What is this?” she asked. 

“Called the TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It’s a ship,” the Doctor said. Rose grinned from inside, and Martha shook her head. 

“But it’s just a box! And it’s… how’s it do that? It’s bigger on the inside?” 

“Is it?” the Doctor asked, his eyes locking with Rose’s. 

“Hadn’t noticed!” Rose said joyfully, and the Doctor fell hard for her in that moment, letting out a sound of joy. Martha walked back in, past the Doctor, and looked around the large ship. It’s yellow and white orbs glistening against the console, and the Doctor moved over to Rose, wrapping his arm around her. 

“So who are you then?” Martha asked, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. 

“Time travelers,” the Doctor replied. Rose watched Martha. 

“Fancy a trip, Martha Jones? A way to say thanks?” 

“Just one trip,” the Doctor said, and Rose rolled her eyes at him. She liked Martha. 

Martha gawked at them, and shook her head. 

“What like… back in time?” she asked. 

“Or forward. Why do humans always ask to go backwards, Rose? Backwards is boring! It’s already happened, it’s riskier, its--” 

“Doctor,” Rose said. 

“Oh, is that rude again?” he asked, his face grimacing. She nodded. 

“A bit, yeah,” Rose hummed. 

“Hmm…” he replied. 

“Love you,” Rose said quietly, and his face melted into a smile. 

“Backwards it is!” the Doctor said, running over to the console. “Oooooh! I have just the place. Hold on tight, Martha Jones!” 

“Where are we going?” Martha asked, and the Doctor grinned. 

“Oh that’s part of the fun,” he said, his eyebrows wagging. Rose began to cackle in laughter and he started to laugh too, and Martha, for a moment, felt like she just made a grave mistake. 

“Sorry,” the Doctor and Rose said at the same time. 

“It’s just, I almost died, you know? We’re both a little giddy right now,” Rose explained, and the mood in the console room shifted. Martha let out a sigh. 

“I get it. You two really love each other,” she said. 

“Yeah,” the Doctor agreed, his eyes catching Rose’s. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” 

He gestured to the door, and Rose’s eyes widened. 

“No,” she said. 

“Oh yes,” the Doctor said, grinning. 

“Shakespeare?” Martha said, her mouth falling open. 

“The one and only!” the Doctor said cheerfully. 

~~~~

Later, as they took their curtain calls and they said goodbye, the Doctor turned to Rose. 

“How long are you going to stay with me?” he asked as the crowd cheered. 

“Forever,” she replied.


End file.
